THE PROBLEMS OF FINANCING GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS GOVERNMENT CORPORATION (A CASE STUDY OF TRACAS)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Public corporation are enterprises, which are partly or wholly owned by the government, which private enterprises have been unable to take care of due to lack of adequate capital.

Government have generally started playing a major role in economic development and in starting large enterprises in public sector.  Many parastatals come into being when it was believed that rapid economic development required the state to take on the role of an entrepreneur/should also be know that government involvement in running public sector help in shaping its economy.  Government ownership of these enterprises is to help improve its social and economic well being of her people and those amenities that the entrepreneurs cannot provide.

In any organization, there are so many components put together that make for an effective performance.  One of the se components is fund.  The problem that arises is the adequacy of the fund for effective oiling of the operations of an organisation, throughout its lifetime.  Many organisations which started well at the initial stage have failed by the wayside die to shortage of available funds.

Public enterprises could be classified into four categories, according to the degree of government participation in ownership and intervention in management.  We have the governmental departments or ministries and agencies like INEC, NBTE.  Government invested enterprises where the government held at least 50% of the equity and appoint management.  Subsidiary company of government invested enterprises which allow the government to invest indirectly through government invested enterprises and others.  And also government back enterprises where the government hold less than 50% of the stock.  In developing nation there is a general believe that government should own and control enterprises; and government gave majority control of them appoint top management.

Over the past decades, the number and variety for public enterprises in developing country like Nigeria, the overall performance of these enterprises have been rather disappointing.  They have suffered staggering loss thereby becoming a major drain on national budgets and the principal sources of heavy external borrowing.  They have equally failed to generate the expected job opportunities.  The public enterprises have been pioneers in strategic and technology intensive field and through the price of public sector product such as coal or electricity have also had a significant impact on overall price levels.

However, the following have contributed to the poor performance and poor efficiency in these enterprises:

1. Obscure and sometimes conflicting managerial goals.
2. Inadequate management accountability and autonomy.
3. Excessive government accountability and autonomy.
4. Excessive government interference in day to day management
5. Poor personnel and incentive system
6. Inappropriate pricing and credit policies
7. Poor financing

The have contributed to poor performance of public enterprises.  The financing and management of these parastatals caused a serious problem in our economy.  Its only very few government enterprises that are independent in the issue of financing, other solely depend on government.  The fate is yearly tied on the national budgets because they are financed by way of grants, subsidies or loan from government, if budget is delayed or cut down proposed expenditure, the funds of these enterprises will also be affected.  This will determine their performance for that very year whether surplus or deficit is to be made.

1.1     BACKGROUND OF STUDY

The transport company of Anambra state Limited (TRACAS) was launched on 12th September 1988 by the military governor of Anambra State Col. Robert Nnaemeka Akonobi under the auspices of the Federal Urban Mass Transit Programme (FUMTP).  This programme is aimed at alleviating the transportation problem of the people, which was occasioned by the dearth of commuter vehicle (buses, cars).

To ensure that the TRACAS was incorporated on the 8th December 1988.  the government has 30% share while remaining 70% will go to the public.  Staff will also own shares in the company.  The motto of the company is ‘’service and comfort’’.